Lone gunman opens fire at White House Correspondents’ Dinner; shooter subdued
Lone gunman opens fire at White House Correspondents’ Dinner; shooter subdued
A lone gunman fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., injuring a Secret Service agent before being detained as the event was canceled.
Chaos erupted at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington when a lone gunman opened fire near the security checkpoint. The event, which drew President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and dozens of journalists to the Washington Hilton, was interrupted as guests fled and security moved to evacuate.
Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives and rushed past security before shots were fired, injuring a Secret Service agent who was quickly treated.
Officers and hotel security subdued him and took him into custody. The guests were moved to safe locations, and the dinner was canceled before it could resume. The president later posted footage of the suspect running through the hotel security checkpoint, saying he did so to be transparent and to highlight the swift response by agents.
The motive remains unknown as investigators review surveillance footage and statements. No other injuries were reported, and the White House Correspondents’ Association said it would coordinate a return to normal operations in the days ahead.
